Filed under: Collaboration and social
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for collaboration needs within an organisation. Individual teams and business areas will have very different behaviours and requirements, and this must be reflected in the collaboration tools that are put in place.
To fully meet an organisation’s collaboration needs, a ‘portfolio’ approach should be taken. This involves providing a range of supported tools, and allowing each area to pick the functionality that they require.
This briefing explores the portfolio approach, and provides guidance on making it work in practice.
Different needs
There are many different situations within any organisation that fall under the heading of ‘collaboration’. Common examples include:
- Team-based collaboration, where a small group of staff work on a single project or other ongoing task.
- Communication and collaboration between a geographically dispersed group of staff, such as a working group or community of practice.
- Collaborative creation of documentation.
- Teaching and e-learning spaces that support educational needs.
- Ongoing research projects, where researchers and other experts share information.
Each of these situations will require a unique mix of collaboration tools, processes and practices.
[CM Briefing 2007-19, read the full article]